In the past decade, a body-worn camera was a mirage. But these days, police have embraced body-worn cameras to avert false complaints from citizens who don’t like cops. It is true, some elements hate cops for no reason. That is why every policeman prefers body-worn cameras just in case a complainant fights back at the officer. These cameras will serve to provide formidable evidence against the offenders.
When buying body cameras in Australia, there are many aspects to consider if they are to serve their purpose effectively. Some of these features to look out for when shopping for body-worn cameras include the following:
Point of View (POV)
This is a critical element of a body-worn camera if it is to capture pictures correctly and from the right elevation. The Point-of-view determines whether the coverage is captured correctly. Be wary if you fix the camera directly on the chest. In case of fights or scuffles, the camera might point directly to the offender’s sneakers making your recording void. Where you place your POV matters especially for law enforcers who risk brisking shoulders with offenders. Some of the places recommended to attach your body-worn cameras include the brim of the hat, sunglasses’ ear-paddle, epaulette of the uniform, and any other position that follows the line of sight of the wearer.
Comfort or size
What comfort or size refers to in the real sense is the lightness of the gadget. The lighter the gadget the more comfortable it is for the wearer. You must strike a balance between the weight and the size of the camera before buying one from the dealers.
Durability or reliability
If you buy a gadget that is too heavy it might lead to breakage because it will often fall off the hangers. Again balance is key when choosing a body-worn camera. It is too heavy, it presents a vulnerability for tipping off to the ground. And the heavier the gadget the more damage caused to your camera. Be wary when buying these gadgets because some might be too cumbersome to wear while on duty. So, just keep in mind the ease of use and not the usual stuff.
Ease of use
This point is fundamental because you will not want to wander around with a gadget that might misbehave and there is nothing you can do to bring it on course. The camera you buy should be a no-brainer to wear routinely and also ease of use after a long day in the field when you finally want to review how your day went.
Data management
After the day, you will want to review the day’s happenings, this point goes hand in hand with ease of use because you will want to retrieve or access storage devices and see what happened in the recordings.
Mounting options
When shopping for a camera consider the mounting options available. Some are mountable onto collars, glasses, shoulders and more. The flexibility of mounting position is important.
Price
Price is a critical factor especially in today’s shrinking budget for security. It is worthwhile to consider the future cost of upgrades when necessary. Sometimes a price tag is deceiving and it might lead you to incur other hidden costs in terms of data storage and so on. It is also important to factor in whether it is resistant to weather elements when selecting a body-worn camera for surveillance and the rest.